The role of decorative pictures in learning

Lenzner, Alwine; Schnotz, Wolfgang; Müller, Andréas

doi:10.1007/s11251-012-9256-z

Cited by 106 publications

(88 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Photographs in textbooks make the learning material more attractive and interesting (Male, 2007;Rubens, 2000) and induce a better mood, alertness and calmness with pupils (Lenzner, Schnotz, & Müller, 2013). Indeed, pupils generally learn better from text and pictures than from text alone (Levie & Lentz, 1982;Levin, Anglin, & Carney, 1987).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Pictures in textbooks have not only a cognitive, but also an affective influence on learning (Carney & Levin, 2002;Lenzner, Schnotz, & Müller, 2013;Levie & Lentz, 1982). By means of looking at textbook pictures, increased pupil interest may enhance willingness to learn, and activate cognitive strategies that lead to more effective learning (Schraw & Lehman, 2001;Vollmeyer & Rheinberg, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most of the research was carried out on "positive" aspects, e.g. on enhancing mood (Lenzner et al, 2013). Animals are special, however, as some of them may pose a danger to humans.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Animals in Dangerous Postures Enhance Learning, but Decrease Willingness to Protect Animals

Prokop

Fančovičová

2017

EURASIA J MATH SCI T

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Animals are the most prevalent subjects for photographs in science textbooks. Many of them are potentially dangerous to humans, and visual exposure to potential threat can influence learning outcomes as well as emotional attachment to these animals. We experimentally investigated the influence of animal posture (aggressive-looking vs. neutral-looking) on 10 -13-year-old pupils' information retention and willingness to support the protection of these animals. We found that information placed below aggressive-looking animals was retained significantly better than information placed below neutral-looking animals. Survival-relevant information was retained better than survival-irrelevant information. Willingness to protect aggressive-looking animals was lower than willingness to protect neutral-looking animals. This suggests that aggressivelooking pictures receive stronger attention, but do not distract pupils from learning. Aggressive animals may have a negative influence on animal conservation efforts.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Animals in Dangerous Postures Enhance Learning, but Decrease Willingness to Protect Animals

Prokop

Fančovičová

2017

EURASIA J MATH SCI T

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“…If, for example, mind wandering in educational settings is indeed primarily unintentional, then the focus of interventions might be on modifying the ways in which material is presented, such that the delivery of the material is continually salient and exogenously draws attention. For instance, the focus might be on increasing the use of multimedia in lectures (Lenzner, Schnotz, & Müller, 2013). If, however, at least some of the mind wandering that occurs in educational settings is engaged with intention, this finding would suggest that researchers and pedagogical practitioners should also focus on methods of intervention aimed at reducing intentional, controlled mind wandering (e.g., by increasing incentives to focus on the lecture rather than intentionally disengage from it).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

On the relation between motivation and retention in educational contexts: The role of intentional and unintentional mind wandering

et al. 2015

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Highly motivated students often exhibit better academic performance than less motivated students. However, to date, the specific cognitive mechanisms through which motivation increases academic achievement are not well understood. Here we explored the possibility that mind wandering mediates the relation between motivation and academic performance, and additionally, we examined possible mediation by both intentional and unintentional forms of mind wandering. We found that participants reporting higher motivation to learn in a lecture-based setting tended to engage in less mind wandering, and that this decrease in mind wandering was in turn associated with greater retention of the lecture material. Critically, we also found that the influence of motivation on retention was mediated by both intentional and unintentional types of mind wandering. Not only do the present results advance our theoretical understanding of the mechanisms underlying the relation between motivation and academic achievement, they also provide insights into possible methods of intervention that may be useful in improving student retention in educational settings.Keywords Mind wandering . Motivation . Intentional mind wandering . Unintentional mind wandering . Lectures It has been well established that motivation is a key determinant of academic achievement, with more highly motivated students typically outperforming their less motivated colleagues (e.g., Pintrich, 1999;Schiefele, Krapp, & Winteler, 1992). However, to date, the specific cognitive mechanism(s) through which motivation influences academic achievement are not well understood, and only recently has research begun to systematically explore such mechanisms. In one such study, it was suggested that the relation between motivation and academic performance is mediated by mind wandering: specifically, that poorly motivated students frequently engage in mind wandering, which in turn results in poorer retention (Unsworth & McMillan, 2013). Here we further refine this theoretical proposal by examining whether the relation between motivation and retention might be differentially associated with intentional and unintentional forms of mind wandering. In addition, we expand previous research on the relations among motivation, mind wandering, and retention by examining the effects of these variables in a novel educational context-namely, during a lecture. Thus, the present investigation both advances our theoretical understanding of the mechanism(s) underlying the relation between motivation and academic achievement and generalizes this research to a novel educational context.In recent work, Unsworth and McMillan (2013) explored the effects of motivation and mind wandering on reading comprehension in a laboratory setting. To this end, the researchers had participants read part of a chapter from a textbook, and while reading, the participants were occasionally presented with thought probes to assess whether they were "mind wandering" or Bfocused on the task.^Following the reading task,...

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“…The semi-governmental school I experienced was audio lingual…they had some lessons about culture, for example about English breakfast or how the British people love fish and chips… Having always studied with the textbooks designed and published in the Ministry of Education, the attendees in language schools would gain the chance to see the books designed for the global reader. The main difference between the Iranian and the global language learning books come in the graphics: according to studies by Lenzner et al (2013) more than 70 percent of the pictures in a typical language book are decorative, and yet they have a positive effect on learning. A similar study on the books taught in the schools of Iran, however, shows that only 7 out of 260 pictures are decorative 3 .…”

Section: Identity and The Imagined Worlds Of 'Target Culture'mentioning

confidence: 99%

Identity Formation and Negotiation of Freedom in Coeducational Language Schools in Iran

2016

RoSS

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This study seeks to describe the dynamics of identity formation and negotiation of freedom and coeducation in the shadow of dominant discourses of Islamic hijab and segregation, in an English language college in Iran. A brief historical view of the cultural concerns of the Islamic state vis-à-vis the existing economic and socio-political contexts indicates a shift from the original discourses of segregation and Islamic hijab by state agents in the early 1980s (known as the ideals of Imam), arguably negotiated through the post-war period, i.e. since the 1990s. Language learning is viewed as parallel to higher education, legitimising the presence of women in social spheres, and their interaction with men: in the segregated and policed society of Iran, such schools are viewed as mixed spheres both by the students and by the programme designers who develop the businesses. The ethnography of a language school in Mashhad takes the alternative discourses, indicating the learners' giving precedence to the socialising aspect of the classes rather than the educational quality in these classes; the female learners' concern about how empowering the oral production of the foreign language is vis-à-vis their male counterparts, not only in language education but also for their future professional milieus; and how they are prepared, as prospective students in English speaking universities and immigrants for their lives in the 'imaginary world of abroad'. Both teachers and learners participating in this study see the language classes as a liminal space between their present identity, their ideas, entertainments and jobs, and their ideal identity, relationships and ideas, which is imagined in the fancy world created mostly through the English language textbooks. In conclusion, other than the shift of the dominant discourses, this study demonstrates the divergence between the ideals of the Islamic state for the identity and role of the people, and the alternative voices that have negotiated their freedom with such strategies as paying tuitions and language learning in mixed spaces.

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The role of decorative pictures in learning

Cited by 106 publications

References 28 publications

Animals in Dangerous Postures Enhance Learning, but Decrease Willingness to Protect Animals

Animals in Dangerous Postures Enhance Learning, but Decrease Willingness to Protect Animals

On the relation between motivation and retention in educational contexts: The role of intentional and unintentional mind wandering

Identity Formation and Negotiation of Freedom in Coeducational Language Schools in Iran

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